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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Seemingly the bird of the moment.. (1 Viewer)

more fantastic work, all these strange birds with strange colours look delicious! (In a non-gastronomic sort of way)
 
Hey all...have just had my first xmas of the week (yday) as my brother was back but has to work in Ireland over xmas proper so my dear ole Ma, having both her boys on the same continent at practically xmas couldn't resist...result! Have managed to finish off another plate (cuckooshrikes/cicadabirds) which I'm actually pleased with...(4 left now...:-O) but have now gotta try and paint the 3 labs for Ma's xmas prezzie...no pressure then...

melanesia plate 45 (Large).jpg
 
Nice 'plate' there birdyboy....!

ps...will you be photographing and posting a 'plate' of turkey in the near future?....[depicting 'bird' in it's natural habitat of gravy...surrounded by roast spuds n veg]...;)

All the best over this festering...[sorry...festive]...period....! May your brushes never wilt......
 
Another great plate Ad's, on a roll with the finish line in sight, Happy Christmas!

but have now gotta try and paint the 3 labs for Ma's xmas prezzie...no pressure then...
:-O Been there, run out of dogs to paint.... thankfully ;)
 
great looking plate, I can't put a name to a bloody single one! Get on with the dogs (assuming labs is labrador and not laboratory or a mis-spelt lobotomy), the next Christmas is only 3 days away!
 
Superb work Ads - and good luck with the labradogs; tight deadline is just what you need to get the juices flowing!
Merry Christmas!
 
Thanks everyone....yes Nick, labs is labradors (one of each colour too!) although might need a lobotomy by the end of it. Ed, I think you've cracked it there, pictures sorted!! Merry Xmas to all, hope it's a good one!!
 
Plate is amazing, how do you get everything so perfect?!? is it hand painted, in what media on what surface....OMG how do you keep it so clean?

Happy holidogs!
 
Thanks Colleen! Yep, all hand-painted on Arches 140lb HP paper with Liquitex acrylics built up in thin glazes to start with. Keep it clean with lots of rubbers and white paint for the smudgy bits...!! ;)

Happy hols to you too

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username said:
Nice 'plate' there birdyboy....!

ps...will you be photographing and posting a 'plate' of turkey in the near future?....[depicting 'bird' in it's natural habitat of gravy...surrounded by roast spuds n veg]...;)

All the best over this festering...[sorry...festive]...period....! May your brushes never wilt......
Click to expand...

Cheers User...will try to sketch that darn turkey but it's never around long enough! ;)
Have a good xmas and may your dots never run out.....!

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Holy crap, has it been over a month...?? Well doesn't time fly when you're having fun - everyone having a good new year so far...?! Jus finished another plate....this one was alot more fun! And there was even lots of reference material available...how novel!! ;)

melanesia plate 42 (Large).jpg
 
And you can tell you had some fun with it Ads - I love the odd slight pose change as the eye follows the lines of birds; the occasional one or two with the downwards glance breaks up the repetition very cleverly. Very fine work, mate.
(How many to go?)
 
Cheers Tim - 3 to go...one more kingfishers, one with hornbills and pittas and then one with New Cal passerines (which was actually the very first plate I did but is so bad now that I have to redo it....)
Thanks for the comments re the poses - I know it's a fieldguide but I do hate it when the same shape is used again and again..it's just plain lazy! Had quite a few differences of opinion with the author about it's illustration not art, but I disagree and think the better the artwork, the better the guide...
 
Can't argue with what Tim says, top work indeed and 'the better the artwork the better the guide' shouldn't need any argument.

Mike
 
totally beautiful:clap:
you crammed so many birds on that one plate if you hadn't changed the pose it would really detract.....hope the author appreciates you!
 
He should do Colleen!! ;) As you mentioned the word 'crammed' - that's my biggest bugbear with the kingfisher plates especially...too many images that are gonna look really diddy when reduced for a fieldguide format. I know what they'll end up doing...they'll split the plate up anyways....they did this for the African Stonechat plate in my previous book and it looked crap...far too much unused space that could've been filled with useful illustrations. Annoying to say the least as there's not enough space for flight illustrations, etc..but I guess it's down to space limitations...or the fact if they pay me for one plate with 16 images on it they can make 2 8-image plates out of it for the same money I guess....
 
birdboybowley said:
He should do Colleen!! ;) As you mentioned the word 'crammed' - that's my biggest bugbear with the kingfisher plates especially...too many images that are gonna look really diddy when reduced for a fieldguide format. I know what they'll end up doing...they'll split the plate up anyways....they did this for the African Stonechat plate in my previous book and it looked crap...far too much unused space that could've been filled with useful illustrations. Annoying to say the least as there's not enough space for flight illustrations, etc..but I guess it's down to space limitations...or the fact if they pay me for one plate with 16 images on it they can make 2 8-image plates out of it for the same money I guess....
Click to expand...

My local bird club is having a talk soon, if it wasn't tonight, on how a field guide is put together from someone at Princeton University Press. I'm not going to be able to go to it but it would have been interesting to hear in light of this thread. My guess is that the artist side of the story won't be told. On the other hand they did publish Lars Jonsson's last book so maybe they have a bit more appreciation for artists.

In any case I wish you luck with it. It's sad to think that even with all your hard work you might not be happy with the results.
 
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